The Face of a Demon.

[Pyrixs]

Imbrium ninth, middle of the town. Morning.

"Gregory Cronly, you have been brought before the supreme council of the town for the charges of theft and murder." said a hooded figure over the yells of anger come from the crowd that had surrounded the gallows in the center of town, "The punishment for your crime would normally be a month in the cells but you are a repeat offender of the laws placed down by Count Fredric and therefore have forfeited your life. How do you plead?" A murder of crows sat silently in the tree looking down at the man with the noose tied around his neck, he looked out at the crowd that had started as the five members of the council but as word quickly spread it grew and grew. Suddenly the crowd stopped and all that was heard was the sound of ruffling feathers and footsteps as the crowd parted before a man with black hair and stone grey eyes as cold as the rain the night before. "The head arbiter asked, how do you plead?" the man said when he was in front of the prisoner, "If you do not answer I shall answer for you."
"Co-co-count Fredric, I plead non-guilty." he stammered as he looked up at him, "What is your verdict?"
The count looked at the arbiter then back to the crowd and declared, "The verdict is that of the will of the people. All in favor of death say aye!"
The town roared aye like thunder and the crows took to the murky sky, their calls blending in with the cheers of the crowd as the arbiter pulled on the rope lifting the bound man into the branches of the trees, and as he hung there, the crows descended on their meal.